Again In Neverland

Chapter 23: Unexpected (Part 2)

"There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare." -Mary Renault

PETER'S POV :

This is impossible.

If we by mistake travel down wind, the Isilo would catch our scent and attack us. If we accidentally step on a stick, or trip on a rock, it would hear us and attack. I couldn't see a clear cut way to retrieve the stupid plant without waking the it.

I put a hand under my chin, contemplating out best option. The ground silently vibrated as the Isilo steadily breathed through both its mouth, and it's nose.

"How has it not heard us? Or smelt us?" Lilith asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I'm just as surprised as you are."

Lilith turned her messy, red pile of hair towards the Isilo and I felt her shudder beside me.

A small smile formed on my lips.

"You scared?" I asked her.

She shook her head and jut out her bottom lip, "No way."

I knew she was lying. I felt her arm shaking as it brushed against mine.

"Are you?" She asked.

"A bit." I whispered back.

She turned her head to me with her brows furrowed, "But you're Peter Pan. I didn't think you got scared."

I shook my head, "There's always a reason to be scared when you've got so much on the line."

Her cheeks turned up into a playful smile, "Do you mean me?"

"What?" I immediately responded, "No. Definitely not. I mean myself, of course. I'm the most important. Not that you're not important, though! I just -- never mind."

I silently smacked myself for this embarrassment.

Lilith kept that playful smile as she plucked her sword from the dirt, "You might not say it, Peter. But I think you care for other people above yourself. You're not as conceited as you like to say you are."

I crossed my arms, "I have every right to be conceited. I'm the best that ever was."

The Isilo released a loud breath that blew a gust of wind in our faces. We both covered our eyes with our hands. The Neverleaf next to it was just sitting there. Mocking us with it's wondrous rewards and unreachable distance.

Lilith also released a breath, "Enough looking at the damn thing. Let's get it already. Every second we waste could be a second closer to Jonathan's demise."

"Well we can't just sneak up on the thing, can we? No. We've got to think of a plan. Something that won't get us killed. I don't know about you but I'd like to live to tell this tale."

She chuckled, "Of course you would. Because I'm in it."

I almost couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. They sounded... well, they sounded... like me. Am I really rubbing off on her this quickly?

As I was thinking to myself, I didn't notice that Lilith had begun to creep towards the Neverleaf. So silently that I hadn't heard her, but silence would do her no good against the Isilo. It would smell her.

"Lilith!" I shouted, in a hushed tone.

I crept to the base of a tree closer to the Isilo and put my hand on it, leaning closer but not wanting to fully expose myself.